The present invention relates to pillows, and more particularly to pillows having a casing with a transparent portion.
Pillows are available in a variety of different styles designed to accommodate the widely varying preferences of the purchasing public. This is particularly evident in the fill materials used to provide the pillows with their loft and cushioning. Typically, pillows are filled with either natural fill materials, such as feathers or down, or synthetic fill materials, such as polyester fibers or foam materials. However, within these broad classes of materials, there are a variety of products which vary widely in terms of their quality and comfort. Thus, for example, within the class of materials broadly referred to as xe2x80x9cwhite goose feathersxe2x80x9d are feathers with different lengths ranging from about 1.5 inches to about 4 inches. The shorter feathers generally have a larger percentage of plume with relatively short quills, while the longer feathers generally have longer, more prominent quills and a lower percentage of plume. As a result, although two pillows may be made with white goose feathers, the pillow made with longer feathers will have a greater amount of quills, and will be less comfortable than the pillow made with short feathers.
The same wide range of materials can be found within the class of materials referred to as synthetic fill materials. For example, polyester fibers are available in a wide range of qualities, from crimped straight fibers at the low end to ball fibers having a down-like quality at the high end, with fibers of intermediate quality between these extremes, including microdenier fibers, spiral fibers and continuous fibers.
When pillows are manufactured, after the fill material has been placed in the casing through an open side, the open side of the casing is typically sewn or otherwise permanently closed to prevent the fill material from escaping. As a result, it is impossible for the consumer to see precisely which fill material is in the pillow being purchased. Although federal law requires a label to be attached to the pillow to identify the type of fill material contained therein, i.e., feathers, polyester fibers, etc., that information says nothing at all about the quality of the material within the pillow. In other words, a pillow having a label identifying the fill material as polyester fibers, while complying with applicable federal law, does not inform the purchaser whether the polyester fiber is of a high or low quality.
Furthermore, after extended use of a pillow, the fill material may become compressed and lose resiliency or loft. The consumer may notice that the fill material is compacted, but does not benefit from a visual inspection of the fill material because the fill material cannot be viewed to determine its condition as the pillow is used.
Pillowcases having pockets for displaying or carrying various articles, such as books, memorabilia, or the like, are known. In addition, a pillow having a pillow casing containing the fill material and an exterior transparent bag of flexible plastic material covering the pillow casing is also known. However, such pillows do not allow the consumer to view the fill materials within the pillow. The consumer cannot verify the quality of the fill material before purchase, or verify the condition of the fill material after the pillow has been used for some period of time.
There therefore exists a need for a pillow having a casing which will securely retain a fill material, yet which will enable consumers to readily identify the quality and condition of the fill material therein.
The present invention addresses these needs.
In one aspect of the present invention, a pillow has a casing with an interior space and a fill material contained in the interior space. The casing includes a nontransparent portion and a transparent portion. The transparent portion provides visual access to the interior space of the casing and preferably comprises a supple, transparent material and may comprise a polymeric material and may comprise a supple, transparent vinyl material.
In certain preferred embodiments, the transparent portion comprises a transparent panel of material. The panel itself preferably comprises a supple, transparent material and may comprise a polymeric material. For example, the transparent panel may comprise a panel of supple, transparent vinyl material, such as a supple, transparent polyvinyl chloride (xe2x80x9cPVCxe2x80x9d). The transparent panel may extend between longitudinal edges of the casing adjacent one end of the casing.
The pillow may comprise, for example, at least one panel of casing material for enclosing the interior space. The at least one panel may include a transparent portion or a transparent panel for providing visual access to the interior space.
In certain preferred embodiments, the at least one panel comprises a first panel and a second panel arranged in an opposed relationship. The at least one panel further comprises a plurality of side panels attaching edges of the first panel to corresponding edges of the second panel. One of the panels preferably comprises a transparent panel. For example, the plurality of side panels may include at least one transparent panel.
In certain preferred embodiments, the pillow includes at least one panel having at least one nontransparent panel and at least one transparent panel. The nontransparent panel has an edge connected to an edge of the transparent panel. For example, the pillow may have a first panel and a second panel. The first panel has a first edge and a second edge, whereas the second panel has an alpha edge and a beta edge. The casing is formed by connecting the first panel, second panel and transparent panel. The first edge of the first panel may be connected to the alpha edge of the second panel and at least one transparent panel may be connected to the first panel and the second panel to form the casing of the pillow. In certain preferred embodiments, the transparent panel is connected between the second edge and the beta edge of the other panels. In other preferred embodiments, the transparent panel may be connected to the first panel at a location spaced from the second edge of the first panel.
In a preferred embodiment, the at least one panel includes first and second edges and a pair of longitudinal edges extending between the first and second edges. The transparent panel extends between the longitudinal edges adjacent one of the first and second edges.
In another aspect of the present invention, the pillow includes a casing having an interior space and an openable end, with a fill material contained within the interior space. A transparent panel is joined to the casing adjacent the openable end to enclose the interior space while providing visual access thereto. Preferably, the casing comprises a pair of panels joined together. A releasable fastener may be included for opening and closing the openable end.
The transparent panel is preferably formed from a supple, transparent polymer material.
Desirably, the pillow comprises a pair of panels and one panel of the pair of panels includes a second edge at the openable end of the casing and the other panel of the pair of panels has a beta edge at the openable end of the casing. The transparent panel includes a pair of opposed edges. One of the edges of the transparent panel is joined to the second edge at a first spaced distance from the second edge. Another of the edges of the transparent panel is joined to the beta edge at a second spaced distance from the beta edge. In certain preferred embodiments, the second spaced distance is greater than the first spaced distance.